Indulge in the ultimate comfort food experience with our delectable Four Cheese Mac ‘n’ Cheese recipe. Creamy, cheesy, and irresistibly savoury, this mouthwatering dish combines the rich flavours of cheddar, mozzarella, parmesan, and gouda cheese for a cheesy mac ‘n’ cheese masterpiece.

Close up picture of some steamy cheesy mac n cheese been spooned out of a baking dish full of four cheese mac n cheese.
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And don’t forget the extra sprinkling of cooked bacon for added protein (yeah, like that’s the reason I sprinkle it on there!). As Chris says “Everything tastes better with bacon”.

📋 Ingredients?

Individually labelled ingredients for a four cheese mac n cheese on a wooden board.

Do you have to use Macaroni?

No, absolutely not, I used elbow macaroni when I photographed this dish but spirali when we made the video. You can use whatever small pasta shape you have in the cupboard.

What are the best cheeses to use for mac ‘n’ cheese?

In my opinion, you want a mixture of cheeses, each of which adds something to the cheese sauce element of the dish. So I use:

  • Mature/sharp cheddar cheese – for that signature strong cheesy flavour
  • Mozzarella – for that lovely stretchiness
  • Parmesan cheese – rich savouriness
  • Gouda (you could also swap this out for Gruyere) – slight creamy nuttiness – adding more depth of flavour

📺 Watch how to make it

Full recipe with detailed steps in the recipe card at the end of this post.

  1. Put the pasta on to boil until al dente.
  2. Whilst the pasta is cooking, make the cheese sauce by starting with a roux.
  3. Drain the pasta and combine it with the cheese sauce.
  4. Transfer to a baking or casserole dish and top with a little extra cheese and some cooked bacon.
  5. Bake in the oven then serve!

👩‍🍳PRO TIP Just lightly cook the bacon so it’ll finish off cooking and crisp up in the oven at the end!

Give me a large bowl of this four-cheese mac ‘n’ cheese alongside some BBQ food and I’m a very happy girl 😋.

Overhead picture of a casserole dish with mac n cheese in sat on a slate grey board.

🍽️ What to serve with Mac ‘n’ Cheese?

This four cheese mac ‘n’ cheese recipe is fantastic as the star of the show with a nice green salad but it also goes really well with pretty much any meaty dishes or even as a side for a BBQ feast.

How about trying this mac ‘n’ cheese recipe with:

Let me know in the comments below what’s your favourite dish to serve alongside four cheese man n cheese?

close up picture of a baking dish full of mac n cheese with a scoop full taken out.

Using four different kinds of cheese really adds to the depth of flavour and cheesiness of this mac n cheese recipe!


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5 from 4 votes

4 Cheese Mac ‘n’ Cheese Recipe

Why have one type of cheese, when youcan have four! This oozy, stretchy, ultra-cheesy mac ‘n’ cheese is so warming,rich and tasty. Don’t forget that all-important sprinkling of crispy bacon at the end!
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 4 Servings
Course: Dinner, Sides
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

  • 200 g (7 oz) spiral pasta
  • 4 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 60 g (1/2 cup) plain (all-purpose) flour
  • 480 ml (2 cups) full-fat milk
  • 75 g (3/4 cup) mature Cheddar cheese grated
  • 75 g (3/4 cup) Gouda grated
  • 75 g (3/4 cup) Mozzarella grated
  • 50 g (1/2 cup) Parmesan grated
  • 6 rashers lightly cooked bacon roughly chopped
  • 2 tbsp freshly chopped parsley
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Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 200C/400F (fan).
  • Cook the pasta in boiling water for 1 minute less than the pack instructions. Then drain.
    200 g (7 oz) spiral pasta
  • While the pasta is cooking, melt the butter in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat.
    4 tbsp unsalted butter
  • Once the butter has melted, gradually add the flour whilst constantly stirring with a whisk, until it becomes a thick paste.
    60 g (1/2 cup) plain (all-purpose) flour
  • Gradually add the milk, whilst stirring with the whisk, until combined.
    480 ml (2 cups) full-fat milk
  • Add in the cheese, reserving 1 heaped tablespoon of each type of cheese.
    75 g (3/4 cup) mature Cheddar cheese, 75 g (3/4 cup) Gouda, 75 g (3/4 cup) Mozzarella, 50 g (1/2 cup) Parmesan
  • By now the pasta should be ready. Add the cooked and drained pasta to the pan with the white sauce. Mix together until the sauce coats the pasta.
  • Transfer the pasta to a baking dish and sprinkle on the reserved cheese and lightly cooked bacon.
    6 rashers lightly cooked bacon
  • Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes until golden brown.
  • Sprinkle parsley on top, then serve.
    2 tbsp freshly chopped parsley

Video

Notes

Nutritional information is approximate per serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 675kcal | Carbohydrates: 58g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 36g | Saturated Fat: 21g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 112mg | Sodium: 779mg | Potassium: 409mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 1248IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 640mg | Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links – which means if you buy the product I get a small commission (at no extra cost to you). If you do buy, then thank you! That’s what helps us to keep Kitchen Sanctuary running. The nutritional information provided is approximate and can vary depending on several factors. For more information please see our Terms & Conditions.

Welcome to Kitchen Sanctuary

Hi, I'm Nicky and I love to cook! I want to share with you my favourite, delicious family friendly recipes. I want to inspire you to create fantastic food for your family every day.

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Comments

  1. Alan Bowman says:

    5 stars
    Please Nicky, don’t call it Mac’n’cheese. Proper macaroni cheese is nothing like that American faux Mac’n’cheese. We just had macroni cheese today – delish.

  2. Suzanne Rose says:

    5 stars
    Wow wow wow – this is the best mac and cheese ever! My family are generally fussy eaters but they ask for this now over take out pizza. We add a twist to ours and add chorizo rather than bacon but the mix of cheeses is what I think makes this so great too. Thanks for sharing 👍 😊

  3. Linda Brown says:

    5 stars
    Best macncheese ever however can you freeze it?

  4. Lauren says:

    5 stars
    The best mac and cheese ever!